We haven't missed you, Mr. Smog!

Yesterday we planned to explore a nearby island that has several wetlands and a forest. We packed a picnic lunch, and set off into the haze. As we drove toward our destination, the skies continued to darken, and we realized that it wasn't a cloudy/foggy day, but a return of the smog. In fact, this was the worst-looking smog we have seen in Shanghai, maybe even worse than the winter days we spent in Beijing. We have been blessed with so many clear days since our summer vacation and move to Pudong, that we forgot just how polluted the city can get! I remembered that the United States Consulate, located 36 km away, monitors the air quality at their location and tweets the reports on a regular basis. I tried to access the numbers from the car, but of course the Chinese Fire Wall thwarted my attempts. Later I was able to confirm our suspicions that the air in Shanghai had reached 'unhealthy levels' on the Air Quality Index and within hours it moved into the 'very unhealthy' range.

View of the 10 km bridge to the island

Soot from the windshield

The Little Dumplings (haha!) reported that the new school does not allow outside activities when the pollution levels reach the "very unhealthy" level, and we decided this was a sound policy. We'll return to Chongming Island on a clearer day!